Amalgamator.



PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.

T. J. AfMAODONALD.

AMALGAMATOR.

. APPLICATION rILEnsEP'z a, 1004.

. 110.790. 146. I .PATENTED MAY 23, 1905.-

. T. J. A. MACDONALD.

AMALGAMATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 3, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

-- UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,446, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed September 3, 1904. Serial No. 223,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. A. MACDON- ALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usewhich form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to amalgamators especially designed for treating sand and gravel from placer-mines, but may housed in connection with stamp-mills; and the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described of such construction as to enable large quantities of sand and gravel to be passed therethrough and at the same time remove from the sand and gravel the fine particles of gold and sil ver which are present in the ore-pulp from placer-mines and which are ordinarily lost in treating the sand and gravel in the common sluiceway, because of the fact that said particles are so fine as to escape contact with the amalgamating material.

The above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accom panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through one of the amalgam-wells as on dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 1, showing the quicksilver or other amalgamating material therein and the amalgam-disks adapted to rotate in the bath of quicksilver. Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section, showing a row of the inclined disks which are located in the amalgamating material. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section through one of said disks, its supporting-bearing, and the beveled gears on its shaft. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the inclined amalgam-disks. Fig. 7 -is-a fragmentary view in perspective of the rocker-trough at the upper end of the amalgam-table which is employed to deposit water upon the inclined plate onto which the ore-pulp is fed. Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal section through one of the rotary perforated spray-pipes adapt-v qu'icksilver'or other amalgamating material.

The bed of the table comprises the head-plate 4, the interposed plate 5, and the tail-plate 6. These plates are preferably copper, silverplated, and are on a level with the top of the amalgam-containing wells. The wells containing the quicksilver will be filled to the level of the plates, and the 0re-pulpin passing through the machine flows over the plates and thesurface of the quicksilver in the wells. To provide for disintegrating the ore-pulp so as to insure contact of the fine particles of gold and silver with the amalgamating material, there are em ployed at the upper'side of each of the wells a double row of disks, those in the upper row being designated at 7 and those in the lower row being designated at 8. These disks are set at an incline, and the disks in the two rows stand in opposite directions. The position of the disks is such that the greater portion of the surface thereof is immersed in the quicksilver of the wells and their rotary movement causes the pulp to roll thereon, whereby the metal particles are separated from the pulp and are brought into contact with the amalgam, which is carried upwardly from the wells upon the surfaces of said disks. The motion of the disks is such that the pulp which is discharged ing the rolling motion of the pulp in its passage over the rows of disks. From the lower row of disks the pulp passes between the parallel vertical disks 9, mountedupon the trans verse shaft 10 and spaced equally from each other. Immediately below the shaft 10 is a transverse shaft 11, carrying the vertical disks 12, which are spaced equal distances apart and are so positioned as to stand between the disks on shaft 10. The pulp after passing from the lower row of the inclined disks is carried by the flow of water and the incline of the bed of the machine between the disks 9 and 12, which are rotated through their respective shafts and whose lower arcs are immersed in the quicksilver of the well. This passage of the pulp between said disks still further disintegrates it and breaks up any lumpy formation that may have passed over the inclined disks 7 and 8. The sides of the vertical disks 9 and 12 also present a great area of surface carrying the amalgamatingmaterial with which the pulp is brought into contact in its passage thereth rough, thereby materially assisting the process of amalgamation.

After passing between the lower row of disks 12 the ore-pulp is delivered onto the plate 5, from the lower edge of which it is discharged onto the first row of inclined disks in the second well, and so on the operation continues until the pulp is discharged from the lower end of the tail-plate 6. In the passage of the pulp through the machine it is caused to travel over the amalgam-plates interposed between the wells and over the amalgam-disks within the wells, whose rotary mo tion stirs and agitates the pulp, so as to break it up and allow all of the particles of metal in the ore to come into contact with the amalgamating-surfaces of said disks, whereby the fine particles of said metals are caused to adhere and form into clots which precipitate in the wells of quicksilver, so that when the pulp is finally discharged from the machine all of the precious metals which it contained are removed therefrom.

To give the required fluidity to the pulp, there is employed at the head of the machine a transverse trough 13, which is mounted to oscillate upon a suitable shaft, one end of which is hollow, as at 14. Connected with said hollow shaft by means of a union 15 is a water-pipe 16. At the opposite end of the shaft of the trough is a crank 17, to Which is connected one end of a rod 18, whose opposite end is pivoted to a pin on the forward gear 19, whereby as said gear revolves said trough is rocked so as to cause the water which fills it to alternately spill from the opposite edges thereof in a thin sheet transversely of the plate 4. By discharging the water intermittently onto said plate alternately from the opposite edges of the trough the formation of eddies upon the plate which would result from a continuous stream of water is obviated, and the consequent holding up of the pulp in its passage into the machine is overcome. To still further facilitate the flow of the pulp through the machine, there is employed over each of the plates 5 a transverse pipe 20, which is supported to rotate or rock in suitable bearings and is provided with perforations 21 (see Fig. 8) along its under side. Each of the pipes 20 is connected, by means of a stuffing-box 22, with the waterpipe 16 at one end and at the other end is provided with a crank 23, which is connected to a rod 24, whose opposite end is connected, by means of a crank-pin, to another of the gear-wheels 19, whereby the pipes 20 are caused to rock and the water which is discharged from the perforations in the lower arc thereof is sprayed over the surfaces of the plates 5, effecting a more even distribution of the water and obviating the formation of eddies which retard the even flow of pulp. By this means the active surfaces of the amalgam-plates are kept in continuous operation and the full capacity of the machine is developed, enabling a large quantity of ore-pulp to be passed therethrough.

Both the inclined and vertical disks rotating in the wells of the machine are driven through the medium of the longitudinal shaft 26, having the belt-pulley 27 and carrying the beveled gears 28. Meshing with said gears 28 are the beveled gears 29 on the lower ends of the vertical shafts 30 and 31. The

shafts 3O carry at their upper ends the beveled gears 32, which mesh with the beveled gears 19 on the outer ends of the horizontal shafts 33, (see Fig. 4,) which cross the machine transversely and carry the beveled gears 34. These beveled gears 34 mesh with the beveled gears 35 upon the inclined shafts 36, which pass upwardly through the fittings 37 in the bottom of the wells 3, each of said shafts 36 being provided with a stufiing-box 38 to prevent the quicksilver from passing downwardly therearoundj The vertical shafts 31 carry at their upper ends the beveled gears 39, which mesh with like gears 40 on the transverse shafts 10 andll, upon which are mounted the disks 9 and 12.

To assist the inclined disks in holding the amalgam thereon and carrying it upwardly upon the ascending side thereof as they rotate and at the same to prevent the ore-pulp from too readily sliding from the face of said disks, they are provided with radial ribs or corrugations 41.

After the pulp has passed through the machine the tailings are disposed of in the ordinary manner.

Having thus fully set forth my invention,

table, a well therein adapted to contain am'algamating material, two rows of rotary amalgam-disks located in said well, the disks of said rows being inclined in opposite directions, and means for rotating said disks.

3. An amalgamator comprising an inclined amalgam-table, a well therein adapted to contain amalgamating material, rotary disks in said well, set at an incline to the plane of the flow of ore, and a series of approximately parallel vertical disks adapted to rotate, located in said well below the inclined disks, and means for rotating said disks.

4:. An amalgamator, comprising an inclined amalgam-table, having a head-plate upon which the ore is deposited, an amalgamatingwell below said plate, inclined rotary amalgam-disks located in said well, a transverse water-trough over the upper end of said plate adapted to rock in its bearings, and means for rocking said trough.

5. An amalgamator comprising anamalgam-table,a plurality of amalgam-plates forming a portion of the bed of said table, wells interposed between said plates adapted to contain amalgamating material, rotary amalgamdisks located in said wells, transverse spraypipes above said plates between the wells, adapted to rock in the bearings thereof, and means for rocking said pipes.

6. An amalgamator comprising an inclined table down which the ore-pulp is adapted to flow by gravity, a well therein below the plane of the table adapted to contain amalgamating material, and a row of approximately parallel amalgam-disks arranged to dip into the bath of amalgamating material in the well and standing in the path of the flow of ore,

8. An amalgamator comprising an inclined amalgam-table having a head-plate upon which the ore-pulp is deposited, a well adapted to contain amalgamating material located at the lower side of said plate below the plane there of, a row of inclined and a row of vertical disks in said well dipping into the amalgamating-bath, and means for rotating said disks.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS J. A. MACDONALD.

Witnesses:

' E. S. WHEELER, I. G. HoWLE'rn 

